CHAPTER 36

The Frame Job

The city was burning.

I stood on the rooftop, the acrid scent of smoke thick in the air, watching the fires spread like veins of destruction through the streets below. Sirens screamed in the distance. The chaos was everywhere—explosions ripping through buildings, civilians running in terror, bodies on the ground, unmoving.

And above it all, my face.

It was on every screen, plastered across digital billboards, flashing through the emergency broadcast system. A grainy video looped on repeat—masked figures planting explosives, a final shot of a man walking away, face turned toward the camera. My face.

"Nathaniel Vale—the terrorist behind tonight's attack," the anchor's voice declared. "Authorities are urging all citizens to remain indoors. If you see him, do not engage. He is armed and extremely dangerous."

My jaw clenched so tight my teeth ached.

Julian.

I should've known. He didn't just want to kill me—he wanted to destroy me. He wanted the entire world to believe I was the villain.

A sharp voice snapped me back to reality.

"Tell me you didn't do this."

I turned.

Riley stood behind me, her stance rigid, one hand resting on her gun. Her eyes—those sharp, unwavering eyes—searched mine, looking for something. Proof. Truth. Lies.

I took a slow breath. "You really think I could do this?"

She didn't answer right away. That silence was worse than a bullet.

I stepped forward. "Riley—"

"Don't." Her voice was tight, her body language unreadable. "I want the truth, Nathan."

She was scared. Not just of the situation. Of me.

I exhaled, running a hand through my hair. "Julian set me up. You know that."

Her fingers twitched near her holster. "Do I?"

"Dammit, Riley, you know me."

"Do I?" she repeated, voice quieter this time. "Because right now, the entire world thinks you just killed a hundred people. And I don't know how to fix that."

Neither did I.

I looked back at the city—my name turning into a curse, a warning, a monster whispered in every household.

"Julian wants me hunted," I muttered. "He wants me gone."

Riley crossed her arms. "Well, congratulations. It worked. There's a bounty on you—dead or alive."

My stomach turned.

"How bad?" I asked.

She hesitated. Then—"Fifty million."

A slow, bitter laugh scraped out of my throat. "Guess that makes me the most wanted man in the world."

She didn't laugh.

I let out a breath. "You're not actually considering turning me in, are you?"

Her expression flickered. "I don't know."

That hurt more than a bullet.

I took a step closer. "I didn't do this, Riley. You have to trust me."

She searched my face, jaw tight.

Then—her radio crackled.

"Target spotted near the west sector. Orders are shoot on sight."

She cursed. "They're closing in."

I tensed. "Then we need to move."

She didn't move.

"Riley," I said carefully, watching the war in her eyes. "If you're staying, fine. But I can't. Julian just made me the most dangerous man alive. And I don't plan on dying tonight."

Her breath hitched.

Then—she made her choice.

She grabbed my wrist. "This way."

We ran.

The back alleys were narrow and unforgiving, lined with broken glass and twisted metal. The city's underbelly—where the shadows stretched long and the air reeked of desperation.

I kept low, moving fast. Riley stayed close, her breath uneven, her grip tight on her weapon.

"This won't hold them for long," she muttered.

She was right. The Oath's men were thorough. They had drones, infrared, enough firepower to level the entire block if they wanted to. We weren't just running from the police—we were running from an execution squad.

I stopped near a rusted-out fire escape and turned to her. "Where's Marcus?"

She exhaled. "Underground. He's working on wiping your name from the city's surveillance grids, but it won't last. Julian's got resources."

"Then we need to hit back," I said. "Hard."

She stared at me. "You don't even know what he's planning."

"I don't need to." I wiped the sweat from my brow. "He framed me, Riley. He's orchestrating something big. If we don't move now, we'll lose our only shot at stopping him."

Her mouth pressed into a thin line.

Then—boots on pavement.

Distant at first, but closing fast.

Riley's eyes widened. "We need to—"

Gunfire.

A bullet punched the brick wall inches from my head.

"Move!" I grabbed her wrist and sprinted.

The alley exploded with sound—bullets ricocheting, dust filling the air, voices shouting. The Oath's soldiers were here.

I ducked behind a dumpster, heart hammering. Riley crouched beside me, breathing hard.

She met my gaze. "We're not getting out of this clean."

I knew that.

She pulled something from her jacket—a small, silver device. A signal jammer.

"I can kill their comms," she whispered. "Give us sixty seconds."

I nodded. "Do it."

She flipped the switch.

The gunfire didn't stop, but their coordination faltered. I heard one of them shout—"Lost signal! Repeat, I—" before a bullet silenced him.

We moved.

I took the first guy down with a swift kick to the ribs, his gun skidding across the pavement. Riley fired twice—clean, controlled shots. The others hesitated. I used it.

Elbow to the throat. A stolen knife. A knee to the jaw.

The fight was fast and brutal. When it was over, I was breathing hard, hands shaking.

Riley wiped blood from her face. "We have to keep going."

I nodded, but I wasn't looking at her.

I was looking at one of the men I'd just taken down.

His earpiece crackled. A voice I knew too well.

"Nathan thinks he's clever." Julian's voice was smooth, almost amused. "But he's playing my game. And he just lost."

Cold dread filled my chest.

Riley heard it too. "What does he mean?"

Then—

Explosions.

Three in rapid succession. The entire block shook, fire and debris ripping through the buildings.

Julian wasn't just framing me for one attack.

He was setting up another.

And this time, I wasn't just running.

I was hunted